”AsonofHerault，Iwillsupportthehonourandthegloryofmycountry！Andasinsuchcircumstances，agoodobjectisindispensable，thethreesubjectsgivenmustbeprintedandsoldforthebenefitoftheCrecheofMontpellier。”Peyrotteendedhisletterwithapostscript，inwhichhesaidthathewouldcirculatehischallengeamongthemosteminentpersonsinMontpellier。Jasminansweredthisletterasfollows：——”SIR，——Ididnotreceiveyourpoeticalchallengeuntilthedaybeforeyesterday，onthepointofmydepartureforhome；butI
　　musttellyouthat，thoughIhavereceivedit，Icannotacceptit。”Doyoureallyproposetomymuse，whichaimsatfreeairandliberty，toshutmyselfupinacloseroom，guardedbysentinels，whocouldonlyallowprovisionstoenter，andtheretotreatofthreegivensubjectsintwenty-fourhours！Threesubjectsintwenty-fourhours！Youfrightenme，sir，fortheperilinwhichyouplacemymuse。”Imustinformyou，inallhumility，thatIoftencannotcomposemorethantwoorthreelinesaday。Myfivepoems，L’Aveugle，MesSouvenirs，Franconnette，MarthatheInnocent，andLesDeuxJumeaux，havecostmetenyears’work，andtheyonlycontaininallbut2，400verses！……Icannotwritepoetrybycommand。
　　IcannotbeaprisonerwhileIcompose。ThereforeIdeclinetoenterthelistswithyou。”Thecourserwhodragshischariotwithdifficulty，albeithemayarriveatthegoal，cannotcontendwiththefierylocomotiveoftheironrailway。Theartwhichproducesversesonebyone，dependsuponinspiration，notuponmanufacture。Thereforemymusedeclaresitselfvanquishedinadvance；andIauthoriseyoutopublishmyrefusalofyourchallenge。”
　　Inapostscript，Jasminadded：”NowthatyouhavemadetheacquaintanceofmyMuse，Iwill，inafewwords，introduceyoutotheman。Iloveglory，butthesuccessofothersnevertroublesmysleepatnight！””Whenonefinds，”saysSainte-Beuve，”thistheoryofworkpushedtosuchadegreebyJasmin，withwhomthesparkofinspirationseemsalwayssopromptandnatural，whatasadreturnwehaveofthepoeticalwealthdissipatedbythepoetsofourday。”
　　Sainte-BeuvesummeduphispraiseoftheGasconpoetbyinsistingthathewasinvariablysoberinhistone。”Ihavelearned，”saidJasminofhimself，”thatinmomentsofheatandemotionwemaybeeloquentorlaconic，alikeinspeechandaction——unconsciouspoets，infact；butIhavealsolearnedthatitispossibleforapoettobecomeallthisvoluntarilybydintofpatienttoilandconscientiouslabour！”
　　Jasminwasnotthemantorestuponhislaurels。ShortlyafterhisvisittoParisin1842，hebegantocomposehisMarthatheInnocent，whichwehavealreadybrieflydescribed。TwoyearslaterhecomposedLesDeuxFreresJumeaux——astoryofpaternalandmotherlyaffection。ThiswasfollowedbyhisMaBigno’MyVineyard’，andLaSemained’unFils’TheWeek’sWorkofaSon’，whichafoot-notetellsusishistorical，theeventhavingrecentlyoccurredintheneighbourhoodofAgen。
　　Ashortdescriptionmaybegivenofthisaffectingstory。
　　Thepoemisdividedintothreeparts。Inthefirst，ayoungboyandhissister，AbelandJeanne，aredescribedaskneelingbeforeacrossinthemoonlight，prayingtotheVirgintocuretheirfather。”MotherofGod，Virgincompassionate，senddownthineAngelandcureoursickfather。Ourmotherwillthenbehappy，andwe，BlessedVirgin，willloveandpraisetheeforever。”
　　TheVirginhearstheirprayer，andthefatheriscured。Awomanopensthedoorofaneighbouringhouseandexclaimsjoyously，”Poorlittleones，deathhasdeparted。Thepoisonofthefeveriscounteracted，andyourfather’slifeissaved。Come，littlelambs，andpraytoGodwithme。”TheyallthreekneelandpraybythesideofthegoodfatherHilaire，formerlyabravesoldier，butnowamason’slabourer。Thisendsthefirstpart。
　　Thesecondbeginswithadescriptionofmorning。Thesunshinesthroughtheglassofthecasementmendedwithpaper，yetthemorningraysarebrightandglorious。LittleAbelglidesintohisfather’sroom。Heistoldthathemustgotothehouseofhispreceptorto-day，forhemustlearntoreadandwrite。
　　Abelis”moreprettythanstrong；”heistobeanhommedelettres，ashislittlearmswouldfailhimifheweretohandletheroughstonesofhisfather’strade。Fatherandsonembracedeachother。
　　Forafewdaysallgoeswell，butonthefourth，aSunday，acommandcomesfromthemastermasonthatifHilairedoesnotreturntohisworkto-morrow，hisplaceshallbegiventoanother。Thisnewsspreadsdismayandconsternationamongthemall。Hilairedeclaresthatheiscured，triestorisefromhisbed，butfallsprostratethroughweakness。Itwilltakeaweekyettore-establishhishealth。
　　ThesouloflittleAbelisstirred。Hedrieshistearsandassumestheairofaman；hefeelssomestrengthinhislittlearms。Hegoesout，andproceedstothehouseofthemastermason。Whenhereturns，heisnolongersorrowful：honeywasinhismouth，andhiseyesweresmiling。”Hesaid，”Myfather，restyourself：gainstrengthandcourage；youhavethewholeweekbeforeyou。Thenyoumaylabour。Someonewholovesyouwilldoyourwork，andyoushallstillkeepyourplace。”Thusendsthesecondpart。
　　Thethirdbegins：”BeholdourlittleAbel，whonolongertoilsattheschool-desk，butintheworkshop。Intheeveningshebecomesagainapetitmonsieur；and，thebettertodeceivehisfather，speaksofbooks，papers，andwritings，andwithawinkrepliestotheinquiringlookofhismotheretd’unclind’oeilrepondauxclinsdesyeuxdesamere。Fourdayspassthus。
　　Onthefifth，Friday，Hilaire，nowcured，leaveshishouseatmid-day。”ButfatalFriday，Godhasmadetheeforsorrow！”
　　Thefathergoestotheplacewherethemasonsareatwork。
　　Thoughthehourforluncheonhasnotarrived，yetnooneisseenontheplatformsabove；andObonDieu！whatacrowdofpeopleisseenatthefootofthebuilding！Master，workmen，neighbours——allarethere，inhasteandtumult。Aworkmanhasfallenfromthescaffold。ItispoorlittleAbel。Hilairepressedforwardtoseehisbelovedboyliebleedingontheground！Abelisdying，butbeforeheexpires，hewhispers，”Master，Ihavenotbeenabletofinishthework，butformypoormother’ssakedonotdismissmyfatherbecausethereisonedayshort！”Theboydied，andwascarriedhomebyhissorrowfulparent。TheplacewaspreservedforHilaire，andhiswageswereevendoubled。Butitwastoolate。Onemorningdeathclosedhiseyelids；andthegoodfatherwenttotakeanotherplaceinthetombbythesideofhisson。
　　JasmindedicatedthispoemtoLamartine，whoansweredhisdedicationasfollows：——”Paris，28thApril，1849。”Mydearbrother，——Iamproudtoreadmynameinthelanguagewhichyouhavemadeclassic；moreproudstillofthebeautifulversesinwhichyouembalmtherecollectionofourthreemonthsofstrugglewiththedemagoguesagainstourtruerepublic。Poetsentertainlivingpresentimentsofposterity。Iacceptyouromen。
　　Yourpoemhasmadeusweep。Youaretheonlyepicwriterofourtime，thesensibleandpatheticHomerofthepeopleproletaires。
　　Otherssing，butyoufeel。Ihaveseenyourson，whohasthreetimesshelteredmewithhisbayonet——inMarchandApril。
　　Heappearstomeworthyofyourname——LAMARTINE。”
　　Besidestheabovepoems，JasmincomposedLePretresansEgliseThePriestwithoutaChurch，whichformsthesubjectofthenextchapter。Thesepoems，withothersongsandimpromptus，werepublishedin1851，formingthethirdvolumeofhisPapillotos。
　　AfterJasminhadcompletedhismasterpieces，heagaindevotedhimselftothecauseofcharity。Before，hehadmerelywalked；
　　nowhesoaredaloft。Whatheaccomplishedwillbeascertainedinthefollowingpages。
　　FootnotesforChapterXV。
　　[1]TheelderScaligerhadbeenbanishedfromVerona，settlednearAgen，andgavethevillaitsname。ThetomboftheScaligerfamilyinVeronaisoneofthefinestmausoleumsevererected。
　　[2]JournaldeToulouse，4thJuly，1840。
　　[3]Intheprefacetothepoem，whichwaspublishedin1845，theeditorobserves：——”Thislittledramabeginsin1798，atLaffitte，aprettymarket-townonthebanksoftheLot，nearClairac，andendsin1802。WhenMarthabecameanidiot，sheranawayfromthetowntowhichshebelonged，andwenttoAgen。Whenseeninthestreetsofthattownshebecameanobjectofcommiserationtomany，butthechildrenpursuedher，callingout，’Martha，asoldier！’Sometimesshedisappearedfortwoweeksatatime，andthepeoplewouldthenobserve，’Marthahashiddenherself；shemustnowbeveryhungry！’MorethanonceJasmin，inhischildhood，pursuedMarthawiththeusualcryof’Asoldier。’Helittlethoughtthatatafuturetimeheshouldmakesomecompensationforhissarcasms，bywritingthetouchingpoemofMarthatheInnocent；butthismerelyrevealedthegoodnessofhisheartandhisexquisitesensibility。
　　MarthadiedatAgenin1834。”
　　[4]’CauseriesduLundi，’iv。241，edit。1852。
　　CHAPTERXVI。
　　THEPRIESTWITHOUTACHURCH。
　　TheAbbeMasson，priestofVergtinPerigord，foundthechurchinwhichheofficiatedsodecayedandcrumbling，thathewasobligedtocloseit。Ithadlongbeeninaruinouscondition。
　　Thewallswerecracked，andpiecesofplasterandevenbrickfelldownupontheheadsofthecongregation；andfortheirsakeaswellasforhisown，theAbbeMassonwasobligedtodiscontinuetheservices。Atlengthheresolvedtopulldowntheruinedbuilding，anderectanotherchurchinitsplace。
　　Vergtisnotatownofanyconsiderableimportance。ItcontainstheruinsofafortressbuiltbytheEnglishwhilethispartofFrancewasintheirpossession。AtalaterperiodabloodybattlewasfoughtintheneighbourhoodbetweentheCatholicsandtheHuguenots。Indeed，thewholeoftheSouthofFrancewasforalongperioddisturbedbythecivilwarwhichragedbetweenthesesectionsofChristians。ThoughbothRomanCatholicsandProtestantsstillexistatVergt，theynowlivetogetherinpeaceandharmony。
　　VergtisthechieftownoftheCanton，andcontainsabout1800
　　inhabitants。Itisasmallbutpicturesquetown，thebuildingsbeinghalfconcealedbyfoliageandchestnuttrees。Notfaroff，bytheriverCandou，thesceneryremindsoneofthewoodedvalleyatBoltonPrioryinYorkshire。
　　ThoughtheAbbeMassonwasamanofpowerandvigour，hefounditverydifficulttoobtainfundsfromtheinhabitantsofthetownforthepurposeofrebuildinghischurch。TherewerenoEcclesiasticalCommissionerstowhomhecouldappeal，andthepeopleoftheneighbourhoodweretoolimitedintheircircumstancestohelphimtoanylargeextent。
　　However，hesaidtohimself，”Heavenhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves；”orrather，accordingtotheSouthernproverb，Quitrabaillo，Thionlibaillo——”Whoisdiligent，Godhelps。”
　　Thepriestbeganhisworkwithmuchzeal。HecollectedwhathecouldinVergtandtheneighbourhood，andsetthebuilderstowork。HehopedthatProvidencewouldhelphimincollectingtherestofthebuildingfund。
　　Buttherebuildingofachurchisaformidableaffair；andperhapsthepriest，notbeingamanofbusiness，didnotcountthecostoftheundertaking。Hemayhave”countedhischickensbeforetheywerehatched。”Beforelongthepriest’sfundsagainranshort。Hehadbeguntherebuildingin1840；theworkwentonforaboutayear；butin1841thebuildershadtostoptheiroperations，astheAbbeMasson’sfundswereentirelyexhausted。